The present invention generally relates to a video tape recorder (VTR), and more particularly, to a video tape recorder for recording and reproducing high-definition color video signals and audio signals of a high-definition television, CATV or the like, on a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic tape, etc.
Conventionally, as the video tape recorders for recording component color video signals on magnetic tapes, there have been well-known video tape recorders for a broadcasting or business applications such as those of "M2 system" or "beta-cam" system, etc. Such video tape recorders are arranged to record and reproduce signals of two channels by using magnetic heads of two channels, and disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications Tokkaisho Nos. 59-4279, 59-34785, 58-131885, 59-104886, and 59-104887, etc.
In these video tape recorders as ref erred to above, the magnetic heads of two channels consist of two head pairs. The mounting positions for one head pair and for the other head pair are in a symmetrical relation at 180.degree. with respect to the rotational center of a rotary cylinder, while in each one head pair, the two heads are mounted close to each other.
One example of a typical conventional two channel video tape recorder is shown in an article "A 1/2 inch metal cassette system" by S. Matsuda et al. in Technical Report of the Institute of Television Engineers of Japan, Vol. 9, No. 2 (May, 1985), pages 19 to 20.
Meanwhile, up to the present, in the attempts of investigations and developments for the purpose of applications of high-definition television video signals into domestic use video tape recorders, studies on recording and reproducing in the form of MUSE signals which are the compression signals of the high-definition television signals proposed by NHK, Japan, were made at the early stage thereof. These are of the recording systems disclosed, for example, in a national Conference, No. 7-16 in 1987, Technical Report of the Institute of Television Engineers of Japan, Report of video recording study meeting of the Institute of Television Engineers of Japan VR 88-4, pages 19 to 24, Jan. 27, 1988. Moreover, as a business use video tape recorder for recording the high-definition television base band signals, there is proposed the video tape recorder called UNI-HI, and referred to in an article "1/2 inch cassette video tape recorder for base band high-definition television signal recording" by S. Sasaki et al., IEEE, Transactions on Broadcasting, Vol. 35, No. 4, December 1989, pages 348 to 356, etc. Furthermore, as a domestic use video tape recorder for effecting recording of the high-definition television base band signal, there is proposed an article "High-definition television video tape recorder specification for public use" by Yamashita et al., Technical report of the Institute of Television Engineers of Japan, Vol. 15, No. 50, pages 1-6, 1991.
In the known component color video signal recording video tape recorder as described above, and having a two-channel staggered construction, there are complicated procedures for mounting and precise positioning of four magnetic heads in order to achieve interchangeability. Moreover, there has been such a problem that for employing a plurality of recording and reproducing modes such as a standard mode and a long time mode, etc., the number of magnetic heads must be doubled to eight, thus complicating the arrangement to a large extent. Another serious problem is such that, if the diameter of a cylinder is left as it is in the conventional construction, size reduction of the apparatus is undesirably limited, and it becomes difficult to apply the arrangement to a compact video camera and the like.
Additionally, in the video tape recorder arranged to record and reproduce MUSE signal which is the analog sample value, a large scale circuit is required for the processing of complicated signals therefor. Moreover, in the video tape recorder, since there is a time axis variation, noises are repeatedly produced by jitters, different from the satellite communication in which a pure transmission path may be employed, thus resulting in a large deterioration in the quality of reproduced images. Furthermore, when a solid writing without guard bands is effected for a high density recording in the video tape recorder, a serious problem such as image deterioration may take place due to errors in the detection of movement of the MUSE signal by a reproduction cross-talk interference in neighboring tracks.